Altuzarra

Since he burst onto the scene, Joseph Altuzarra has made a habit of big change-ups. Seventies hippie-chic one season, nineties Tom Ford the next. He opted for evolution, not revolution, this time around, though. Who can blame him? Last season's grunge-influenced, outerwear-focused lineup has been a big hit in the stores; the utility jackets sold out on Net-a-Porter the day they became available. He still has his eye on the street for Spring. There were plenty of statement coats here, from the light-as-air white nylon windbreaker that he opened with to a techno-fabric parka so glossy it looked like liquid. In between we saw a lot of leather, quilted into moto jackets that molded to the torso, or cut into sweeping sleeveless coats.

But outerwear was only one aspect of this bold collection; the others were sport and prints—two emerging themes in New York. Built-in parachute straps (a bit gimmicky, admittedly) accented the shoulders of sleeveless dresses, while track pants came with racing stripes down the sides. Tops that were one part baseball jersey, another part scuba suit suggested that this designer has absorbed the lessons of a certain influential Balenciaga show from the early aughts. As for the prints, like other New Yorkers so far this season Altuzarra has gone Hawaiian. He's given his girl the option of sampling the look with a killer white leather dress inset in front with a floral panel, or really going for it head-to-toe via a matching backless vest and trousers. Our guess is she'll choose option one.

It's easy to forget that Altuzarra's business is not yet three years old. He's been confident from the get-go. But with this collection there's a depth and complexity to the clothes to match.